Love's Limits
by artificus
Summary: Even the universal power of love has physical limits. Wilbur falls in love with Violet, but space and time are between them. Cute and sad ! oneshot. NOT part of the Team Future fanfic.


**Author's Note:**

In case you didn't read the description carefully: This is NOT part of my Team Future fanfic. It's a oneshot that was inspired by one of my drawings. I wrote it down within two days, so it's not as well planned as TF...

The first time in my life i heard music (or rather: watched TV) while writing and it kinda inspired me, so I added the song lyrics at the end (somehing i would never do actually).

Beta reading was done by arandomtuesday from dA! YAY!

One last thing: have a kleenex at hand.

* * *

His heart began to beat faster; and when their eyes met, he suddenly felt strangely cushy.  
Actually, he just wanted to ask her for the way to the institute; but suddenly, the meaning of "love at first sight" became clear to him.

Wilbur Robinson, now 17 years old, was back in the past. His father was working on an important invention, however, he was missing the plans for important components. To save time and money for research, he had sent Wilbur into the past, to ask his younger self for the plans.  
However, the young Cornelius was not at home, and Wilbur was now trying his best to find the way to the science fair.  
Unfortunately, it was almost impossible for the boy to orient himself in the chaotic traffic of the city, which was very different to the one of his time.

But then, he saw her. A young, dark-haired, very pretty girl, around his age. She went dreamily along the sidewalk, gazing into shop windows.  
Actually, he didn't want to ask her. That could cause a change in the time stream; besides, it wasn't really necessary at all, anyway. But when she looked at him with her bright blue eyes, he couldn't help it! Without thinking about it, he just did it.

"Excuse me," Wilbur said politely. The girl stopped and smiled at him, her eyes sparkled magnificently. For some reason, Wilbur had to smile, and he felt his face became hot.

"Erm, can you tell me how to get here?" he asked charmingly, but with a bright red face, and showed her a piece of paper, on which was the address of the institute, where the science fair was.

"With pleasure!" she said, returning the grin. She took the note and frowned. It looked unbelievably cute, and Wilbur felt as if he could never stop smiling.

"Oh man ... You're on the completely wrong side of town ..." she said and smiled at him caringly. Wilbur's smile vanished. Had he lost his way that much?

"Oh ..." was the only thing he could say. That, was indeed a surprise. The city was so confusing! No normal human being (from the future, at least) would be able to find their way there!

"You're not from Metroville, are you?" the girl asked casually, but it was obvious that she was curious.

"No ... not really ... " Wilbur, who didn't really know how he should answer the question, replied. After all, he couldn't tell her the truth.  
Metroville ... Wilbur knew it only as a quarter of Todayland, and it didn't really have one single similarity with this place...

"You can get lost very easily here. But, I can show you which bus you can take ..." she said helpfully and pointed to a nearby bus stop.

"That would be too kind! How can I ever thank you for your help!" he replied as charmingly as he could, even though, he somehow felt ashamed to be dependent on her help.

Normally, his charm was simply an expression of his strong self-confidence; but now, he tried to cover up his insecurity.

"For a start, you could tell me your name ..." she said as they walked to the bus stop.  
Suddenly, a thousand different thoughts raced through Wilbur's head! He had just flirted with a girl from the past! It could change the time stream, if he hadn't done it already...!  
But, would it really mean the end of the world if he told her his name?

"My name is Wilbur," he said confidently, while trying to look serene, even though he had the slight feeling he was about to lose control about the situation.

"I'm Violet, but everybody calls me Vi" she said and shook hands with him. Wilbur smiled at her charmingly.

"It's a very great honor and pleasure to meet you, Vi," he said with exaggerated gallantry. But, he had to grin when he saw that Violet was blushing.

"Now, only the kiss on the hand is missing" she chuckled, a little nervous.

"Okay!" Wilbur replied resolutely and bent over to her hand, but Violet quickly drew it away.

"Wilbur! No kissing on the first date!" she laughed sarcastically, and became almost a bit shy as she played with a strand of her hair. At the word 'date,' Wilbur blushed too, and he couldn't suppress a nervous laugh.

_Wilbur Robinson! Stop flirting with her! This girl is a few decades older than you!_

They reached the bus stop, and Violet looked at the timetable.

"The institute is right next to the data center, and you get there with all one lines ... 1, 11, 21 - "

"31?" Wilbur interrupted.

"And, so on ..." Violet added.

"No, I mean this 31 .." he said, pointing to the bus that was approaching the stop.

"Oh ... Okay."  
Wilbur could have sworn that he saw disappointment in Violet's eyes.  
_What nonsense! You'll never see her again!_ With that thought, his smile disappeared, and he became serious. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt pretty lousy while the bus was approaching.

"Where are you coming from?" Violet asked in one last attempt to get more information about the stranger. Wilbur smiled bitterly. He could lie to her or tell her nothing ... anything, except the truth.

"From afar..." he said with a wink. And, that wasn't even a lie.  
The bus stopped right next to them, and the passengers got out.

"Ooh, very mysterious!" Violet said sarcastically, yet amused. "Nice!"

People started to get into the bus. It was quite a bustle around them, but they stood motionless and looked at each other.  
Wilbur wondered what he could say, but nothing seemed good enough ...

"You're going to miss your bus ..." Violet said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Right ... okay ..." Wilbur took a deep breath, "Bye!"

"Bye!" Vi replied.

Wilbur got into the bus, which also had no resemblance to the public transport vehicles of his time. It was too crowded and narrow, so he was forced to stand.  
His heart was pounding in his ears, and he took a deep breath to calm down again...  
He stretched out a hand and saw that it was trembling...

'Bye' ... a simple 'Bye'! That was the only thing he could come up with!  
But, it didn't matter, he would never see her again, anyway ...

He drooped and, with a disappointed sigh, tried not to think of her...

* * *

Violet looked after the bus. Somehow, she had a weird feeling in her belly, and she couldn't stop smiling.  
When she realized that, she sat more or less shocked on the bench of the bus stop and took a deep breath ...

"What was that?" She asked herself incredulously.  
Even though she had a strong self-confidence, she was actually quite shy and cautious and, especially to strangers, she was often suspicious.  
But now, she had behaved quite contrary to her usual habits...  
What if he was a spy!? An adverse agent!?  
She shook her head and tried not to think about the cute boy ... but, she couldn't get those hazel eyes out of her mind!

Suddenly, she had a crazy idea ...

* * *

In front of the data center, Wilbur got out of the bus; and just as Violet had said, the institute was right next to it. The weather became cold, and he regretted that he had no jacket.

Many people were running around on the area of the institute. It couldn't be compared with the science fair at school, when he had met Lewis. Here, real scientists presented their inventions. He followed the stream of people into a large hall, and even though it all seemed very professional, Wilbur still had the feeling that he had been through this once already.

Of course, Wilbur went to the stand where the most people were, only to find that the organizer was not his father ...  
How could Wilbur forget that? In this time, his father hadn't established himself as a serious scientist and an inventor, yet! True, he was treated and supported like a child of prodigy, but most of his older colleagues still didn't take him serious.

Wilbur looked around the hall into a rear corner, where only a few people were. Suddenly, he discovered a blond, about 16-year-old boy with a very eccentric hairstyle, who was busy with some futuristic machine.  
Lewis was probably the youngest person in the entire hall, which did not seem to intimidate him. Calmly and intent, he made the last modifications to his invention.

When Wilbur went to him, Lewis turned his back to him and began rummaging in a box, that was jam-packed with plans and tools.

Wilbur leaned casually against Lewis' invention and looked down at him. Only then, he realized that he had really missed the lively, past version of his father.

"Gosh! Where is my wrench...?!" Lewis mumbled, while he searched in the box. Wilbur couldn't help it.

"That is an excellent question!" He said serenely, to attract Lewis' attention.

Lewis raised his head and almost dropped the box.

"What - ?! How - ? What are you doing here?" Lewis stammered, in shock.

Wilbur was a little disappointed that Lewis seemed shocked rather than happy to see him again ...

"Yes, I am also glad to see you!" Wilbur said sarcastically and turned his head away, slightly offended.

"No, I - I'm sorry ... but -" Lewis needed a moment to regain his composure, then he smiled. "Did you turn the time stream upside down again?" he asked sarcastically, and patted Wilbur's shoulder.

"No, for once, I didn't!" Wilbur laughed. Then, he got an envelope from his pocket and gave it to Lewis, "to be honest, you were the one who sent me here."

"Am I stupid?" Lewis asked, confused and looked at the envelope. He couldn't imagine what could be so important that his future self sent Wilbur to the past.

"It's about some research results, which my father - you - can't find, anymore. And, because he needs it urgently, you need to give it to me."

"Great... Wait a sec, I got the stuff here somewhere ... The last month I did nothing else but deal with this issue ..." Lewis said, then he began to rummage in the box again.

"But, I don't have much time, my presentation could start any moment" he added, and Wilbur felt that Lewis was more nervous than he showed.

Wilbur suddenly felt like an interdimensional postman. He would certainly have no chance to hang around with Lewis for a while... He was too busy.  
Wilbur would only get the results and return ...  
Why had his father not done it himself?!, he thought annoyed.  
On the other hand, he would have never made the acquaintance of that pretty girl.  
While Lewis fumbled in the box, Wilbur drifted off with a dreamy smile on his lips ...  
Suddenly, someone from behind tapped him on the shoulder. Wilbur jerked!

"Hello ..." a familiar voice said. When Wilbur turned around and saw Violet beaming at him expectantly, he couldn't resist a happy smile.

"Oh! Hi!" he said, quite surprised.

"What a coincidence!" Violet said, but with a tone that made it very clear that it was no coincidence that they met here, again. That was cute, and Wilbur felt sincerely flattered.

"Let me guess! You were completely accidentally here!" he said sarcastically. Violet blushed and giggled.

"Right! I always hang around at science fairs in my free time!" she said. Wilbur laughed and felt a pleasant warmth spreading through his body.  
Lewis had to watch this performance with bewilderment, too shocked to do anything. Why the heck did they know each other?! Why was Wilbur flirting with her at all? Lewis had to intervene!  
"Ahem!" He placed himself firmly between them, "I need to talk to this guy here ... in private!" he said, pushing Wilbur away from Violet, until they were out of earshot.

"That was very rude. You could have introduced yourself, at least" Wilbur said, slightly annoyed by this interruption.

"Rude?!" Lewis repeated, completely stunned, "You're just about to ruin the entire time stream! Again!"

Wilbur made an annoyed face. This boy, who was now one year younger than him, sounded way too much like his father. Besides, he knew he had screwed up, but could he simply ignore such a pretty girl?

"It's not my fault that she followed me!" He tried to justify.

"Why does she know you at all?!" Lewis was almost hysterical.

"I asked her for the way," he said with a shrug and smiled at Violet. She returned the smile and waved. It was so incredibly cute! Wilbur was grinning from ear to ear.  
Suddenly, someone grabbed his chin and roughly turned his head away from Violet.

"You can't be serious! Are you aware of what you could cause? Just imagine you preventing your own birth!"

Wilbur looked over at Violet again, who gave him a sweet smile. That made him seriously consider the risk of not being born.

"Here are the test results for your father! And now, you have to get rid of this girl!" said Lewis and pressed a sheet into Wilbur's hand.

"Hmm?" said Wilbur dreamily. He hadn't even realized what Lewis had just said.

"Gosh! You need to rebuff her now!" Lewis said strictly.

"Yeah .. Yeah ... okay ...." Wilbur muttered and turned around. Lewis gave him a push, as if it would accelerate the matter.  
Wilbur took a deep breath as he went to her. He had no idea what to do. And even before he had thought of something, he suddenly stood in front of her.  
But when he saw her smile, he suddenly forgot what Lewis had just told him.

"Is there a problem with your friend?" Violet asked.

"No, no ..." the answer was quite monosyllabic, but what could he say?

_'Sorry, I'm from the future'  
'My father - who's younger then me right now - has just told me to rebuff you'  
'It wouldn't work with us, I'm not even born'_

Violet gave him a questioning glance.

"He just has a lot of stress right now..." Wilbur said.

He looked to Lewis. He was nervously tapping his chin while watching the crowd, that surrounded the president of Inventco, and slowly moved towards his stand. When he looked at Wilbur, he showed him, with a shooing wave, to finally get rid of this girl.  
Wilbur groaned, slightly annoyed, and gently pushed Violet towards the exit.

"That's all incredibly important for him ..." he continued.

"Then, don't you want to stay?" Violet asked.

"No need ..." Wilbur grinned. After all, he already knew how it would end.

They thrust their way through the crowd outside. Wilbur was shivering.

"Where are you going now?" Violet asked casually.

"Well ..." Wilbur began hesitantly. He looked at the paper in his hand, that Lewis had given him. He now had to return to his time, but he couldn't tell her, of course.

"Back to where I come from..." he continued.

"And, that is not Metroville ..." she stated and skeptically rose an eyebrow. Wilbur smiled sheepishly.

"Right ..." Wilbur had never felt so ridiculous in his entire life.

"So, will you happen to be here more often?" Violet asked hopefully.

Wilbur suddenly became depressed when he became aware that he would have to disappoint her hopes.

"Not really ... I doubt that I ever come back ..." he said, and rubbed his neck uncomfortably.

"Oh ...." even though she tried to hide it, Wilbur noticed her disappointment. He felt so sorry, but what could he do? It wasn't as if there was the slightest possibility that it would lead to anything. It was impossible.  
"Well ... here comes my bus ..." Violet said with a bitter smile and stretched out her hand. "Good trip home, Wilbur!"

Wilbur took her hand and looked one last time into those ocean-blue eyes. Somehow, he felt that a simple handshake was far too little for a proper farewell, even though they knew each other for not even an hour.

Violet got in the bus, and it drove away. Wilbur looked after the bus for a while, even when it was already out of sight.

* * *

Back in his time, Wilbur landed the time machine in the garage. His father was already waiting eagerly.

"And? Got it?" Cornelius asked excitedly, while Wilbur climbed out of the time machine.

"Here ..." Wilbur said, more than unhappy, and gave his father the note. Cornelius unfolded and read it.

"Great! Thanks Wilbur! You just saved Robinson Inc. a lot of money!"

Only then, did Cornelius notice that something was wrong with his son.

"Is everything okay? Were there any problems?" He asked anxiously.

"Everything's okay, no problems ..." Wilbur muttered, without turning around, and went to his room.

The next days were just terrible. Wilbur could think of nothing else other than her. But with her was inextricably linked the fact that, no matter how much he wished, they would never be able to be together.

After a week, he tried desperately to suppress the thoughts about Violet, but that only made it worse.  
Violet was not just the first thing of which he thought when he woke up, and the last he was thinking of when he fell asleep, but also the only one he dreamed of at night.

After a month, he came to the conclusion that his life would never be worth living, again.  
He simply couldn't stop to indulge in senseless dreams and absurd hopes. And the more he tried to find a way to solve the problem, the more he saw how impossible it was. It was a frustrating, vicious circle ... and in the end, he suffered more from the false hopes as from the fact that he and Violet lived in different times.  
His whole family was worried about Wilbur's unusual behavior.  
He withdrew more and more, and finally, he spent almost every day solely in his room.  
But when they asked him about what was wrong, he responded very irritated and annoyed.

A few days later, Franny found her son in the living room, pouting. He was leaning back on the couch and was staring at the ceiling, frustrated.

"Does she live in the neighborhood?" Franny asked compassionately. At first, Wilbur was surprised, but then he drooped. Of course, she knew that a girl was the reason for all of this. She had seen right through him, after all, she was his mother.

"Yes ..." he began, but hesitated, "Though, actually not..."

Franny smiled sympathetically and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"So it's kind of a long-distance relationship?"

"It's not even a relationship!" he burst out, "I've only seen her once! I don't understand how this could me throw off track so much!" He shook his head frustrated.

"Well, well ... Love is unpredictable ..." Franny said, "You can't control it..." Those words were not particularly uplifting.

"It's not fair," Wilbur muttered and laid his head in his hands.

"If that's so, you should see her again ..." Franny said, "Maybe, you'll come to the conclusion that she is not as great as you thought!"

"That's impossible!" Wilbur cried desperately. But, then again, he thought about her words.

"You think I should meet again?" he asked incredulously.

"Sure! Or, call her, at least... Just to see how she really is."

Of course, Franny couldn't know that Violet lived about 30 years in the past.  
Wilbur thought about what she had said...  
He couldn't call her. But meeting, again ... only once ... just to get the painful thoughts out of his head!  
His mother was right! When he met her again, and saw how she really was, then the agonizing questions, false hopes and stupid dreams would at least stop . Within a few seconds, a plan formed in his mind!

"Thanks, Mom!" he exclaimed suddenly, and hugged Franny!  
"Uhm, welcome..." Franny replied, slightly confused about the fact that the depression of the last weeks had disappeared in an instant.

*********************************************************

Why the heck had he forgotten to take a jacket with him, again?!  
Wilbur was standing around in the same place where he had seen Violet for the first time and was freezing.  
It was autumn, the dark gray clouds promised rain, and a cold wind swept through the wet streets.

Not far away, Wilbur had discovered a school.  
He could only speculate that Violet went to this school, but he had still decided to wait.  
And if he was wrong, he would return to the future, again. It wasn't necessary to meet Violet, again, to get rid of his unhealthy obsession. Wilbur was completely fed up, already.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and hundreds of young people streamed out of the school!  
How could he find her in this crowd? He couldn't even be sure that it was her school at all.  
At that moment, it started to rain heavily. Within short time, Wilbur was completely soaked and frozen.  
He got doubts.  
What had he lost there at all? It was absolutely pointless to be there! What did he expect from it? It was so stupid that he took such agony upon himself, for a girl that he had seen just one time a few weeks ago and who also lived in a completely different time!  
His hairstyle was ruined, he was soaked to the bones and shivered heavily.  
Wilbur was just about to go back to the time machine again, when he suddenly discovered her.  
He looked away, quickly, and tried to convince himself that it wasn't her, but it was too late.  
Wilbur looked at her again. Violet came out of the gate of the school with a small blue umbrella and hurriedly walked across the street to the bus stops.

Suddenly, Wilbur forgot the rain, the cold, and all his doubts. He forgot entirely what he had just thought of and ran to her.  
But, there was a lot of traffic on the road, and the sidewalks were full of people.  
When Wilbur reached the bus stop finally, Violet had disappeared.  
Confused, he looked around. He had seen her a moment ago! Had she become invisible, or what?  
Suddenly, he had an awful fear. He turned and looked at the bus, which was standing at the bus stop. After some moments, he saw Violet, who was trying to find seat. At that moment, the bus closed its doors and slowly began to move.

Wilbur suddenly felt a strange panic rising.  
He ran to the bus and banged on the door. But, the bus driver ignored him and drove off.  
Wilbur cursed, frustrated, and gave the driving bus a desperate kick.

Violet wanted to sit down, when she saw a familiar person outside in the rain through the rear window of the moving bus!  
She lost balance and accidentally stepped on the foot of the man who sat beside her.  
"Hey! Watch out!" He barked at her, but Violet didn't register it at all. She muttered an apology and stared in disbelief out the window. Everybody wore thick winter jackets and hats, but this boy had only a T-shirt. Moreover, he looked damn similar to Wilbur. But, the bus was driving, and he was already too far away to tell if it was really him.

Violet sighed and finally sat down.  
Three months ago, she had met this strange boy for the first and only time. And since then, she had thought about him almost every day.  
She often drifted off into silly daydreams in which she imagined who Wilbur was, where he came from and when she would meet him again.

At the next stop, she got out and ran back through the pouring rain.

* * *

While the wind lashed the rain on him without mercy, Wilbur looked after the bus, frustrated.  
He had missed her! Only a few seconds lay between them!  
He was angry, but somehow happy as well... He didn't know what he would have told her anyway. He shouldn't even be there! Perhaps, it was predestined that he had missed her.

The rain got worse, and Wilbur sat in the bus stop to wait until the shower was over. He sighed, frustrated.  
He was angry at himself! He had risked changing the past to meet a girl again, who certainly didn't even remember him! And even if she remembered him, what would that change?  
The whole thing was so useless!  
He had to forget her... whether he wanted to or not ...  
Wilbur was breathing heavily and looked around.  
Most of the students were gone with the bus, or had fled from the rain into the mall. The streets were empty. The view was limited by the rain, but it was still obvious that the buildings had the same dreary gray color as the rain clouds. In addition, it was bitterly cold.  
How could one only live in such a time ...?!  
As soon as the rain was weaker, he would return to the time machine ... he surely would have caught a cold when he got home.  
His mind slowly began to deal with more profane problems again, when he noticed that someone entered the bus station and stood beside him. He didn't care about it until the person spoke to him.

"Uhm ... Wilbur?" Violet was really not sure if it was him. The boy sat slumped on the bench in the bus stop, he was soaking wet and his usually accurate hairstyle was completely messed up.

Wilbur jerked around. Violet looked at him cautiously; but when she saw him, she beamed.

"Nice to meet you, again!" she said.  
Wilbur was torn. On the one hand, he was horrified because he was probably changing the time stream right now; on the other hand, his heart beat with joy at the sight of her! The grueling agony of the last few weeks was blown away! And, she remembered him! So, maybe, he meant something to her as well? Wilbur felt as if he had just won the jackpot.

"Violet!" he exclaimed, jumping up, but he didn't know how to continue.

"I didn't think I'd see you again." Violet admitted with a shy smile.

Wilbur would have liked to have said something, but he didn't know what. Usually, he never had a loss for words, but Violet sparked something in him that he couldn't understand. He moved uncomfortably.

"What are you doing here ...? At the end of October, without a jacket?" she tried to help him.

"To be honest, I'm only here because of you ..." he confessed. That wasn't as difficult as it should have been. He smiled nervously. That was almost too honest.  
Violet had widened her eyes, then she suddenly stared at her feet.  
Had he gone too far?

"Uhm ..." was the only thing she could say. In front of her stood a super cute boy, about whom she had thought every day for last three months, and now he told her that he was here ONLY because of her! That was too much ... Her heart raced, and she blushed.

"My parents would kill me if they knew that I'm here," Wilbur said. He didn't know why he mentioned that at all, perhaps in order to dramatize his situation; but perhaps, only to break the silence and lighten the mood a little.

"Oh, I don't want you to get into trouble because of me!" Violet said hastily.

"No, no problem ... I get into trouble anyway" he replied casually.

An icy wind blew from the road, so that Wilbur shivered and his teeth were chattering.

"You're crazy! Going outside in this weather without a jacket!" Violet scolded, tore off her blue wool scarf and wrapped it around Wilbur's neck. She pulled Wilbur's head down a bit so his face was directly in front of hers, while she wrapped the scarf around him.

"Alright, that's better than nothing," she said contentedly.  
Suddenly, the idea shot through Wilbur's mind that he could actually kiss her.  
At that thought, he blushed immediately and giggled nervously.

"What?" Violet, who didn't understand what was so funny, asked confusedly.

"Oh, nothing!" Wilbur waved, but his bright red face betrayed him.  
"Perhaps we should go somewhere else?" She said, in an attempt to change the subject, trying to hide her big smile.  
Wilbur agreed; and together, they went into a small café a few blocks away.

Although the café was warm and welcoming, there were hardly any people. The bad weather kept most people from leaving their homes.  
Wilbur and Violet sat at a table right next to the large window. The wind whipped the rain in wide swaths through the streets.

It was nice to sit there, but Wilbur couldn't really enjoy it. He had to leave as quickly as possible before he caused major changes in the space-time continuum.  
Restless, he slid on his seat and looked over at the big clock on the building on the other side of the street. The hands of the clock went further ominously and inexorably.  
Somehow, it was ironic that he had so little time ... Finally, he had a time machine.

"Do you have something else to do?" Violet asked, almost anxiously. Wilbur's unrest was obvious. Did he appear only to disappear again for months?

"Really, I shouldn't even be here ..." Wilbur said. He gave her a wry smile and looked back at the big clock.

"But, you're here ..." Violet said, in order to raise the serious mood, "and while it's raining, you will stay, right?" she added hopefully.

Wilbur smiled. This pretty girl had no idea what was at stake. For her, everything seemed to be quite simple. She couldn't imagine that the space-time-continuum structure was depending on them right now!

"Well, Wilbur, where should you be, if not here?" Violet asked innocently and sipped at her cappuccino.

"The question should rather be: 'When should I be ...'" Wilbur thought bitterly ... He was sorry that he couldn't explain it to her. Violet looked at him, smiling with her big blue eyes and showed him to respond with a slow movement of her hand. It looked so unbelievably cute, that Wilbur just smiled at her dreamily.

"Well?"

"Uhm ... what was the question?" he grinned. Violet rolled her eyes but laughed.  
She shook her head incredulously. So, apparently, he didn't want to answer any questions about him. Actually, all alarm bells in her mind should have been ringing, but they weren't.  
Her usual instincts didn't work with this boy, but was it really that bad? Violet had never experienced anything like it before ...  
"You're really weird..." she said, smiling.

"I take that as a compliment ..." Wilbur began with a wink, "But, enough about me! What about you? Don't you have better things to do than drinking coffee with creepy strangers?" he asked, leaning over the table to her.

"You're not creepy ..." she said softly and leaned across the table, too.

"Just ... strange ..." Wilbur replied, whispering.

"That doesn't need to be a bad habit," she said charmingly. She knew this from her own experience, after all, she was a super.

They both smiled and looked at each other in silence for a moment.  
Oh man, how Wilbur had missed those eyes! Although, that shouldn't be possible at all! He had seen her only once! How could someone he didn't even know mean so much to him?  
As so often in his life, Wilbur's tongue was faster than his mind, and he simply spoke out loud what he was thinking.

"I could spend the rest of my life looking into your eyes..."

Violet's eyes widened in shock, she blushed heavily and slapped her hands over her face. But although she was shocked, she couldn't stop giggling!

"Wilbur!" she cried, pretending to be offended, "Stop making me blush!"

Wilbur was shocked himself by his unrestrained honesty, but Violet's reaction made him forget the shock immediately.

"Hey, I don't have much time! I have to use every opportunity!" he laughed.

When Violet had calmed down, they struck up a conversation. She told of her family, her little brothers and from school, and Wilbur had found that there were some things that never seemed to change. He only had to pay attention that he didn't mention flying cars, transport tubes or any other achievements of his time in his stories. They talked a lot and had a lot of fun. Wilbur enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, which was a strong contrast to the recent weeks.

The rain had stopped long ago, but they were so delved into their conversation that they didn't even notice.  
Wilbur felt so good in her presence! He enjoyed being with her, listening to her and making her laugh ... It felt so right to be with her, that he even forgot, for some time, that it was impossible.

But suddenly, a look at the clock pulled him forcefully out of the dream ...  
Because that was the only thing it was... it was just a dream, which could never come true. The gray clock showed that they were there for three hours already; but for Wilbur, it seemed much shorter. He wanted to spend so much more time with her!  
Violet saw his serious expression.

"You have to leave?" she asked hesitantly, yet worried. Wilbur nodded slowly.

Silently, they left the small café. The sky had cleared, the sun was shining, and a few wind-tattered clouds were scattered over the pale blue sky. But even though the sun was shining, Wilbur was even colder than before. His breath rose in white clouds and was carried away by the wind.  
Although he was cold, he gave Violet her scarf back. She took it in silence, without looking at him.  
Now, came the difficult part... and despite the sunshine, a dark cloud seemed to soar above them.  
Violet broke the silence first.

"When will you be in Metroville again?"

With this question, Wilbur's guts clenched painfully.

"I don't think that I will return again ..." he said, trying not to sound as disappointed as he really was.

"Last time you said the same" Violet replied, slightly irritable. Wilbur shrugged and tried to smile - which he managed poorly. He felt all so sorry ...  
Violet could see that it was difficult for him, so she decided to let the matter rest. He looked so incredibly sad that Violet couldn't help it.

Suddenly, Wilbur found himself in a tight, almost desperate hug. A little surprised, he looked down. Violet had closed her eyes and pressed her slender body against his.  
When Wilbur returned the hug and closed her into his arms, all the pressure and sorrows suddenly fell away from him. Suddenly, it didn't matter anymore that they lived in different times. It was almost as if their own space-time continuum had surrounded them. Wilbur closed his eyes in order to hold up the illusion for a few seconds, at least, that there was a possibility for them to stay together.

"Goodbye mysterious stranger ..." Violet whispered and separated from the embrace, a sad smile on her lips.

With these words, Wilbur became painfully aware of the reality, again. The dream was over... for ever.  
Wilbur got a knot in his throat. Somehow, he managed a shaky "Bye". Then their paths went separate ways ...

* * *

"I can't believe how irresponsible you are! You simply put all our lives at stake!" Cornelius cried angrily.

"Nothing happened..." Wilbur replied meekly.

"How shall we know that's true?! We would be the last ones who notice any changes if you've fudged around in the time stream!" Cornelius almost shouted at him.

His father was really, really angry. That didn't happen very often. And Wilbur couldn't even defend himself adequately... Finally, he knew he had screwed up, and he hadn't done it accidentally but deliberately... So, he had no other choice than to sit there and suffer in silence.  
Cornelius had caught him red-handed when Wilbur had landed the time machine in the garage.  
His father was a super-genius, and it didn't take very long until he had put two and two together...  
First, he sent his son into the past, after that he acted strangely, and after he had told his mother about a certain girl, Cornelius met him again with the time machine. The whole thing was pretty obvious.

After Cornelius grounded him for four months, he sent Wilbur up to his room and said that he would think of an appropriate punishment for him later.  
Wilbur didn't really care about it ... he felt miserable enough without the rub down. But apparently, he couldn't expect any sympathy from his parents...

The next morning, Wilbur really had a cold. His head ached, and he felt totally weak.  
When he didn't come down to breakfast, Franny went to his room to look after him.  
She had supported Cornelius the day before, but she also had some sympathy for the hopeless situation of her son.

Wilbur was awake and stared sadly out the window. When he noticed Franny, he briefly turned around.

"I'm sick ..." he muttered and looked out the window in distress, again. Franny slid onto the bed beside him and felt his forehead.

"You've got temperature..." Franny said worried, "I'll get you an aspirin."

"Okay ..." Wilbur muttered. But, Franny didn't move. She just sat there. Wilbur turned around and gave her a questioning glance. She sat with crossed arms on his bed and smiled skeptically.

"If I knew that she lives in the past, I would have never advised you to meet her again!"

Wilbur turned away again and looked sadly out of the window.

"I know .... That's why I didn't tell you!"  
Franny smiled. Suddenly, Wilbur buried his face in his pillow.  
"I just can't stop thinking about her ..." he muttered into his pillow in despair. Franny had never seen her son so unhappy, and it almost broke her heart.

"Oh, honey ..." Franny whispered sympathetically and stroked her only son's pitch-black hair, "even if you don't believe me now, it will go away... some day..."

Wilbur sighed sadly.

"I'll call the school and let them know that you won't be coming."

Franny left the room. She felt so bad because she wasn't able to help her child. But, this misery, he had to pass alone ...

* * *

Wilbur stayed home for three days. Mostly, he was alone in his room. He could not bear the compassionate gazes of the other family members. He not only felt physically sick but also mentally miserable.  
Every minute, he was thinking of Violet, and hence of the impossibility of it.  
When he went to school again after three days, he really welcomed the distraction. But again, he realized that the thoughts of Violet were as present as always.  
He took refuge in silly daydreams, which made the reality seem even bleaker. Finally, Wilbur came to the conclusion that he went hopelessly around in circles.

But after about three weeks, he suddenly had an idea that could possibly release him from this vicious circle!  
He would never be able to be together with Violet, but he was able to meet her! She was now much older; but if he could see her again, now, in the present, then perhaps, these haunting false hopes would stop.

With renewed energy, Wilbur began to search for her. In the library, he found old yearbooks. He was able to estimate her year of graduation, so it didn't took very long until he had found her.  
When he saw the small picture of her, he felt taken back into the cozy little café. Minutes, he stared at the picture with a dreamy smile...  
With her first and last name (that he had found in the yearbook), he started to search for her in the databases.

What was she doing today? He imagined how she would look like, and how her life was. Perhaps, she was a successful lawyer or doctor! She had married and started a family! Perhaps, her husband was a pilot or an astronaut! Wilbur was not jealous, there was no reason. He only hoped fervently that she had a happy life.

But, his hopes were shattered bitterly ...

"Young woman dies in car accident" was the headline.

It seemed as if all the colors around him instantly disappeared and the temperature fell to freezing point.  
Wilbur looked away from the newspaper. Maybe, he had misread, or it was a wrong article.  
The other people in the library simply continued their activities, unaware of the drama that was just happening. The hands of the clock on the wall behind him moved ruthlessly. Everything went on as usual, nothing changed.  
And yet, this moment was the end of the world for him.

Shocked, he turned again to the newspaper article. Banned in black and white, there was no place for doubts in the terrible news.

Violet ... the girl he had fallen in love with, had died before she'd even reached 24...  
She had never married or had children ... she had been too young to depart from this life. And that was many years ago already...

It took a while until he realized the importance of it.

Violet did not exist in his time ...  
She only existed in the past ...

Time and space lay between them ...

The following night, Wilbur was sitting motionless on his bed and stared out of the window.  
He didn't know what to do.  
The barrier between them was irreconcilable ... if his father hadn't accidentally invented a time machine ...  
Wilbur Robinson had not only the opportunity to meet her again, but also the power to save her!  
But, the consequences in space-time continuum weren't predictable ...  
He was completely torn up inside. Either the girl he loved died, or he put the lives of all the people of his time at risk ...

"That damn time machine!" Wilbur whispered with tears in his eyes.

That damned invention! Without it, he would had never met Violet! None of that would have happened! He would not have fallen in love and didn't need to find out that she was dead.

When the sun slowly rose, Wilbur had a plan.  
He had to see her once again ... just one last time to say goodbye...

* * *

It was a few days before Christmas, the whole city lay under a thin blanket of snow. Heavy, dark gray clouds covered the sky. It would soon snow again. And in the spirit of Christian charity, the teachers had put the exams on the last days of school.  
Violet was sitting with two of her friends, Karin and Melly, in the little café, in which she had been with Wilbur as well, and prepared for the exams.  
She had told her friends about Wilbur, already, after she had met him for the first time; but since she could never provide a proof of his existence, they had reasonable doubts.  
Meanwhile, Violet began to doubt too... It seemed so unreal that she almost believed that Wilbur was a dream figure ...  
He simply appeared and disappeared again. Even her research with the supercomputer in the secret place of the Incredibles (with the limited information she had), had no result ...  
It was as if Wilbur never existed ...  
Violet turned her eyes from the numerous books and notes, which were spread on the table, and looked dreamily out of the window. She started to imagine what it would be like if Wilbur lived here in Metroville and if they could meet every day ...

Suddenly, she had to blink in disbelief!  
She really had an strong imagination! It really looked as if Wilbur approached the little café, this time wearing a thick winter jacket.  
When she realized that her eyes didn't fool her, she grabbed her jacket and jumped up.

"Where are you going?" Melly asked confused.

"I - uhm - I have to -" Violet muttered and stumbled out of the café onto the street. Her feelings were a mixture of incredible luck and sheer horror.

Wilbur saw her from afar, and beamed. He had become so accustomed to the thought of her death that he was overjoyed to see her alive and healthy. He ran towards her.  
But, his mood changed abruptly when he saw Violet's angry facial expression.

"What are you doing here?!" She asked irritable, almost aggressive.

Wilbur hesitated. He had no idea how he should respond ...

"Every time, you say you won't come back, and then you appear again!" she continued. She didn't know why she suddenly lost control. She had always imagined a reunion with him going quite differently...

Suddenly, they heard a knock. Violet's friends had pressed to the window to examine the attractive boy. They grinned at Wilbur and Violet and waved.

Violet rolled her eyes, annoyed, then she grabbed Wilbur's arm and pulled him away, along the sidewalk.

They walked in silence for a while, side by side. It began to snow. The streets were empty, and it seemed as if they were the only people in the world.

Wilbur tried to organize his thoughts, when Violet suddenly spoke.  
"What do you want from me?" She asked quietly, as if she was hurt, while she stared at the ground.  
It cost him quite a lot of self-conquest, but somehow Wilbur managed to reply.

"Actually I'm just here ... to say goodbye ..." he whispered.

Violet stopped abruptly. She stared at him, completely stunned. Something about his expression told her that, this time, it really was a goodbye forever. A strange fear arose in her, a fear that she could neither understand nor classify.  
She was afraid to lose this guy, even though she hardly knew him...

"You really could have spared the visit!" she suddenly burst out, with her voice cracked. She walked hurriedly past Wilbur.

"I have no idea who you are or where you're coming from! You just dive in and turn my head! Are you kidding me?!" she cried, upset.

"It's not so easy ..." Wilbur replied sheepishly and followed her.

"Not easy?! Shall I tell you what's not easy!?" Violet began, "It's not easy to be stalked by a guy, who has no past, no life, who simply vanishes without a trace! That's not easy, Wilbur! If that's your real name at all!"

Violet turned around. Wilbur had stopped a few feet behind her and looked to the ground.  
He felt miserable. She was so right with what she said... he shouldn't be here at all...

Violet gulped. She didn't want to hurt him or make him feel bad. She was just... so frustrated.  
She walked back until she stood right in front of him.

"You could at least tell me the truth!" she said, almost imploringly. Again, Wilbur's mouth was faster then his mind.

"I love you..."

That was so crazy ... but the craziest thing was that she believed him... She couldn't help but seriously believe those words. From his firm voice, his longing hazel eyes, she could tell that he was telling the truth ...  
That didn't make it any easier ... He put an end to it before they even started it!  
Her eyes filled with tears.

"That's not fair...! You can't say goodbye forever and then - " she couldn't continue without bursting into tears. She looked to the side and tried to maintain her composure.  
When Wilbur realized that tears ran down her ivory cheeks, he would have liked to die!  
"Hey ... shh, please don't cry, please ..." he whispered softly and put his hands gently on her shoulders, in order to comfort her. He felt so miserable to see her crying.

"Shall I jump around for joy, or what?" she sobbed, and suddenly fell into Wilbur's arms. He embraced her, as if he never wanted to let her go again.

He loved her. With all his heart. More than anything else in this world...  
But, was it true love, if he didn't warn her? Could he confess his love and then leave her to her fate? Although, he - as the only person in the world - had the power to change all that? He could save her! He would put the future at risk, but he could save her!  
Wilbur was fighting with the tears himself. It just wasn't fair ...

Violet separated from the hug; and for a while, they just looked at each other.

Suddenly, Wilbur felt the sweet softness of her lips.

It was one of those kisses, of which no one knows who started it. Suddenly, they stood in the middle of the sidewalk and shared a passionate kiss. Time and space stopped existing.  
And both allowed themselves the luxury to indulge in the dream that everything would turn out okay... at least, for a moment.

Wilbur suddenly turned his head away.  
He couldn't kiss her and then just let her die!

"What?" Violet whispered, still with tears in her eyes.

"Listen carefully to me ..." Wilbur began seriously, while he took her hands. He was breathless and would have really liked to start crying his eyes out, when he thought of what the consequences would be of what he wanted to do now.

"The 4th, May 2015 ..." he began.

"What?" Violet replied, alarmed.

"Just remember this date!! The 4th. May 2015!" he urged.

"Why? What are you talking about?" Violet asked, trying to break away from him, but he held her tight.

"Violet, it's about your life! You will die, if you aren't careful! I couldn't forgive myself if something happens to you!" he almost pleaded, gently stroking her cheek, "Promise me you'll be careful on this day!"  
Violet stared at him in horror. That didn't make any sense! That date was years in the future! What would it have to do with her life?!  
Now, her super hero instincts started working. Why was her life in danger? What did this guy want from her at all? She knew nothing about him! How could she be sure that she could trust him?!

"Who are the heck are -"

Wilbur interrupted her with a last, passionate kiss. There was something in it that immediately made Violet clear that he wasn't lying. He loved her...

"Goodbye ..." he whispered with a heavy heart.

Wilbur disappeared without turning around one last time. That would have broke his heart even more, if that was possible.  
Now, he had to go to save what was left of his time. He was still there, so he hadn't prevented his own birth, yet, but who knew what other changes he had caused.

Violet was left behind in the fading twilight of dusk and looked after him. As long as she could still see him, it was all real. But when he walked around a corner and once again disappeared from her life, the sheer fear overwhelmed Violet.  
Had she only dreamed all this? Was it just a product of her wild imagination?  
She was frustrated, shocked and desperate... But out of this confusing mixture of emotions, suddenly one feeling crystallized very clearly. It became so abundantly clear that it unloaded in an unconscious whisper.

"I love you ..."

When she realized what she had just said, and that she really meant it, the fear to never see Wilbur again became almost unbearable within seconds.

Suddenly, she ran after Wilbur through the deserted street. Was it just a dream? Besides her and her friends, no one had seen them together ...  
But, her feelings were definitely real!  
She had to tell him what she felt! He had to know it! Even if they never met again, and even if she couldn't even trust him, he had to know it!

She ran around the corner, in the same second, the streetlights turned on. Now that the streets were illuminated, the emptiness of the streets was even more obvious.  
No one was there, even though she actually should have seen him! Less than a minute gone ago, Wilbur had been right here!  
Incredulous, she slowed her pace ... Had it all been only a dream ...?

Suddenly, a bright light beamed from a nearby side street, which then disappeared with a bright flash. Violet ran to it, but when she came around the corner, it was already too late ... The street was empty ...

Disappointed, Violet looked around....  
She was alone.  
She leaned against a wall and started crying silently.

* * *

At home, Wilbur searched desperately for the newspaper article that should be somewhere beneath his bed. But it wasn't there!  
Perhaps, it no longer existed because Violet had survived? He already started to have new hope when his fingers suddenly touched a crumpled piece of paper.

Excited, he unfolded the newspaper article ...!

Nothing.

Nothing had changed. The headline, the text ... everything was the same.

She was still dead.

Now, he couldn't hold back the tears any longer.

* * *

After dinner, Franny went back to Wilbur's Room. The whole family was seriously worried about him, after his breakdown in the afternoon. He had smashed almost all of the furniture in his room, and there had been no way to calm him down, so they decided to leave him alone for a few hours.

Carefully, she opened the door. The sun was setting and soft, orange-red light filled the room.

"Wilbur?" she asked quietly. When there was no answer, she entered the room. She was seriously concerned. Franny had never seen her son so deeply desperate. She carefully climbed over the broken pieces of furniture and other stuff.  
Then, she rode the elevator to the second floor, where Wilbur's bed was.  
Wilbur still had his clothes on and was lying on his bed, asleep.

Franny sat down, gingerly, on the bed and stroked her son's hair.  
Actually, she wanted to talk with him about the matter, but it was good that he had finally fallen asleep. So, she decided not to wake him up. She could still talk to him about it later.

For a while, Franny remained motionless as she listened to the quiet, regular breathing of her son and watched the sunset, though without realizing it consciously.  
It made her unbelievable sad that her son's first love was such a bitter experience, and she wondered whether there had been anything she could have done to prevent that.

Finally, she got up to leave, but she suddenly discovered something that lay beside the bed on the floor. It was a rumpled, yellowed piece of a newspaper. Even before she unfolded it, Franny had a very burdensome feeling.  
When she read the article, her eyes filled with tears.

She turned around and saw her son sleeping.

"At least, they can be together in his dreams..."

* * *

_I feel my wings have broken in your hands  
I feel the words unspoken inside_

_When they pull you under  
And I would give you anything you want  
Well all I wanted  
All my dreams have fallen down  
Crawling around  
Somebody save me  
And two warm hands break right through me  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just stay  
Stay  
Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

_I see the world has folded in your heart  
I feel the waves crash down inside_

_And they pull me under  
I would give you anything you want  
Well all I wanted  
And all my dreams have fallen down  
Crawling around  
Somebody save me  
And two warm hands break right through me  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just stay  
Stay Come on  
I've been waiting for you_

_And all my dreams are on the ground  
Crawling around  
Somebody save me  
And two warm hands break right through me  
Somebody save me  
I don't care how you do it  
Just save me_

_I've made this whole world shine for  
Just stay  
Stay  
Come on  
I'm still waiting for you _

- "Save Me" by Remy Zero (known from Smallville)


End file.
